Republican presidential candidates could end up spending as much time campaigning for the Feb. 5 primary in Democratic cities like San Francisco and Compton as in GOP strongholds like Newport Beach.

A change in state GOP rules means that the statewide winner no longer gets all 173 primary delegates. Instead, three delegates go to the winner of each of the 53 congressional districts, with another 11 delegates going to the statewide victor. The three remaining delegates, the state GOP’s top three officials, can select whichever candidate they like.

So while Rudy Giuliani is out stumping in Newport Beach (a congressional district with 200,000 Republicans), Mike Huckabee could be tromping around in Santa Ana (a district with 72,000 Republicans). And if each won the district they campaigned in, they would come out even.

“It would cost you a lot less to campaign and you get the same number of delegates” if you target a predominantly Democratic district, said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a USC political scientist.

More likely, Republican areas will continue to see more activity, including more by dark-horse candidates like Huckabee and Sam Brownback. Non-frontrunners typically didn’t spend much California time in past primaries because they had nothing to win. Now, they can pick up a few delegates here and there.

But additionally, voters in cities like Compton — who have rarely caught a whiff of a Republican during primaries – could get some attention.

“I kind of wanted to force the Republican Party to engage in minority communities more,” said Newport Beach’s Mike Schroeder, who wrote the new procedure when he was chairman of the state GOP 10 years ago. It was designed to take effect a decade later to avoid allegations of favoritism toward any candidate.

“Most Republican candidates have no idea how to campaign in (minority) districts,” he said. “They’ve never had to before. Now, all the campaigns are being forced to figure it out.”

Rohrabacher jabs at Bush

You might have heard that George W. Bush is going to the 2008 Olympics.

“Once again (Chinese President Hu Jintao) extended an invitation to me and Laura and our family to come to the Olympics,” Bush said last week. “And of course, I was anxious to accept.”

“If this were 1936, would President Bush be anxious to sit next to Adolf?” Rohrabacher said in an e-mail. “The president’s presence in the Communist party’s skybox is certainly contradictory to his so-called commitment to democracy in the Middle East or his emotional expression of concern over the genocide in the Sudan.”

“Maybe it would be too much to expect President Bush to whisper in the ear of the Communist Party elite the pleas of the Chinese citizens who are continually persecuted and imprisoned because of their inability to freely express religious or political beliefs. President Bush doesn’t have to travel to the world’s worst human rights abuser to enjoy a sporting event.

“One bit of advice Mr. President: I wouldn’t be so anxious to use the toothpaste in your hotel room.”

Harkey flexes more muscle

Dana Point Mayor Diane Harkey is Goliath and growing against the recall effort. As previously mentioned here, the mayor got the OC GOP’s governing. Central Committee to unanimously oppose the recall, and has been endorsed by five congressmen and some two dozen legislators in her upcoming Assembly bid.

Then last week, all but one of her Dana Point council members signed a letter opposing the recall. Recall proponents promptly countered that four council members signing a document outside of a formally announced meeting violated the state’s Brown Act requiring open and noticed meetings. The recallers, who are gathering signatures in an effort to put the measure on the ballot, also fired off a letter to the city, requesting – among other things – a public apology.

Political datebook

Monday

6:30 p.m. Scott Baugh, chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County, will speak at Orange County Young Republicans mixer. The Clubhouse, South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St # 2802, Costa Mesa. www.ocyr.org

Tuesday

8 a.m. “Fiscal Wake-up Tour” will come to the Orange County Forum breakfast for a panel discussion featuring United States Comptroller General David Walker, The Concord Coalition’s Robert L. Bixby, The Heritage Foundation’s Alison Acosta Fraser, and The Brookings Institution’s Isabel V. Sawhill. The Atrium Hotel, 18700 Mac Arthur Blvd., Irvine. $40 for members, $52 for non-members. Pre-paid reservations required. By phone at 213-312-9306 or fax at 213-489-3327. http://www.ocforum.org/

Wednesday

6:30 p.m. Claudio Gallegos of Planned Parenthood and Rich Gillock of Americans United Workshop will speak at the meeting of the National Organization of Women, Orange County Chapter. Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon Ave. Irvine. nowoc.org

7 p.m. Orange County native Nathan Gonzalez, author of “Engaging Iran,” will discuss his belief that Iran holds the key to the successful pursuit of American interests in the Middle East. Borders, 25222 El Paseo Mission Viejo. 949-367-0005 or www.NathanGonzalez.com

7 p.m. Councilwomen from Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Fullerton and Yorba Linda will be featured on a panel for a local elected officials women’s forum sponsored by the Orange County Young Democrats. Orange County employees Association, 830 N. Ross, Santa Ana. Free. oc_inlanddirector@youngdems.org

1:30 p.m. The Leisure World Democratic Club of Seal Beach will have a free showing of Michael Moore’s documentary on health care, “SiCKO.” Clubhouse 4 at the intersection of St. Andrews and Northwood, Leisure World, Seal Beach. davesilva67@verizon.net

2 p.m. Samuel Coleman, a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, will speak at the meeting of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Irvine Ranch Water District, 15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine. Free. 714-299-4551 or at www.au-oc.org

Martin Wisckol has been the Orange County Register's politics writer and weekly Buzz columnist since 1998, and now writes about politics for all papers in the Southern California Newspaper Group. He was given the title of politics editor in 2011 to reflect his expanded role in planning political coverage. Wisckol started his career writing about surfing and jazz, but has written predominantly about government and politics since 1985. He has held reporting positions in his hometown of San Diego, as well as in Detroit, Jacksonville and Miami. Along the way, he has put in extended stints in Japan, South America and Switzerland. His work has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Headliner Awards, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the Florida Press Club, among others. He continues lifelong pursuits of surfing, traveling and playing guitar.

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